BCP open audition call for The 25th Annual Putnam Cty Spelling Bee

by iced jamb

[May 3, 2011] – The Bergen County Players (BCP) is holding open auditions for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, a hilarious tale of overachievers’ angst chronicling the experience of six adolescent outsiders vying for the spelling championship of a lifetime.

The show’s Tony Award-winning creative team has created the unlikeliest of hit musicals about the unlikeliest of heroes: a quirky yet charming cast of outsiders for whom a spelling bee is the one place where they can stand out and fit in at the same time. Six young people in the throes of puberty, overseen by grown-ups who barely managed to escape childhood themselves, learn that winning isn’t everything and that losing doesn’t necessarily make you a loser.

The comedy opened on Broadway in the spring of 2005, where it delighted audiences, received critical acclaim, and earned three Drama Desks (Outstanding Book of a Musical, Outstanding Director of a Musical, and Outstanding Ensemble Performance) and two Tony Awards (Best Book and Best Featured Actor).

Under the direction of Larry Landsman of Wyckoff with musical direction by Steve Bell of Teaneck, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee will be performed at the Little Firehouse Theatre in Oradell from September 8th through October 11th, 2011.

Auditions will be held at the theatre, located at 298 Kinderkamack Road in Oradell, on the following dates:

Tuesday, May 31st at 7:30 pmThursday, June 2nd at 7:30 pmSaturday, June 4th at 10:00 amCallbacks (by invitation only):Thursday, June 9th at 7:30 pm

Requirements: Spellers must be 18+ years of age. A headshot/picture is appreciated but not required. Please prepare an excerpt of a song (16-32 bars) that best represents your voice and bring sheet music for the accompanist in the proper key. A contemporary Broadway or pop genre song is preferred but not required. No a’cappella or recorded music auditions please. You may use a 1-2 minute comedic monologue, however a monologue is NOT required. Auditioners also should dress comfortably and be prepared to move. You will take part in a brief improvisation. NO ROLES HAVE BEEN PRE-CAST; ALL ROLES ARE OPEN. Please note: there is no chorus in this production.

A full character breakdown may be found at www.bcplayers.org, or by contacting Larry Landsman at LL1157@aol.com. Callbacks will include readings from the script and singing a song from the show.

ABOUT BERGEN COUNTY PLAYERSThe Bergen County Players, Inc. (BCP) is a non-Equity, non-profit community theater company dedicated to presenting quality productions for the enrichment of the community. BCP has grown tremendously from its roots as a small community theater when it was founded in 1932; today, nearly 300 volunteer members, working on and off stage, make possible the nine productions presented each season.